


Nature vs Nurture

by VoldyIsMyFather



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Muggle, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, F/M, Psychology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 08:00:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19741501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoldyIsMyFather/pseuds/VoldyIsMyFather





	Nature vs Nurture

Hermione fiddled with the index cards in hands; they were littered with key points she would need to make to win the argument she was inevitably going to have with her boyfriend. Raising her eyes, she caught him staring at her from his position three feet away.

Hermione took a deep breath and begun, "Aggressive behaviour in humans, is the result of our genetic makeup," Hermione paused for a second, quickly glancing down at her notes before continuing, "It's predetermined by our genes, making it innate and not something that we exert control over."

Her boyfriend, George cleared his throat, "As much as I love Hermione," he paused after the declaration, proceeding to blow a cheeky kiss in her direction before adding, "her comments about aggression being the result of genetic makeup isn't absolute. I argue against this as there is evidence to suggest that aggressive behaviour is the result of social interactions."

"George, you know I never go into anything half-cocked," Hermione smirked at her boyfriend and let the rumble of laughter from the bystanders reach her ears before carrying on, "So it shouldn't surprise you that I have some evidence to back my claim."

Hermione gazed down at the index cards in her hands wanting to check the facts before continuing, "Brunner researched a family in the Netherlands, in which several males in the family displayed violent tendencies. There was evidence to suggest this had been present in the family for a few generations."

Hermione took a deep breath and allowed the audience a chance to think about what she had previously stated before continued with her point, "In his analysis of the family, which involved 28 members, including both males and females. Brunner discovered that there was an X chromosome deficit that was only present in the aggressive males and some females who he believed to be carriers. The non-aggressive males didn't have the deficit which became known as monoamine oxidase A deficiency."

Hermione finished her comment and awaited her boyfriend's response, knowing he would likely be making it soon. She wasn't wrong as a few seconds later, he picked apart her argument.

"I would like to point out that," George calmly stated, "Some of the aggressive males in Brunner's study only displayed aggression after going through a stressful event, and they hadn't previously displayed signs of violence. This here implied that aggressive behaviour is the by-product of social interactions."

"While George's comment has merit," Hermione responded shortly after he finished, not allowing time for their audience to digest what had been said, "These gentlemen still had the aggressive gene, and therefore it could be argued that they might not have responded aggressively in the same stressful situation without it. Therefore, I would like to reiterate that my earlier point that aggressive behaviour is the result of our biological makeup and is therefore innate."

"I commend Hermione for her thorough research," George clapped his hands together, "However, the research I have found suggests that aggression is, in fact, a learned behaviour."

Hermione eyed her boyfriend trying to figure out which piece of research he would be using for this, hoping it was one she had allowed for in her preparation.

"Bandura," George announced, and Hermione sighed with relief, she had planned on him being George's choice, "Researched the aggressive behaviour of preschoolers."

Hermione watched as George gazed down at his own index cards, before he continued, "Bandura observed five groups of children who were evenly matched across these groups for pre-levels of aggression. The children in his study would either watch a male or female adult behave aggressively towards a blown up doll, or a male or female adult play with other toys in the room polity or the final group which was a control group would not observe an adult."

Hermione watched George's Adam's apple bob on his neck as he took a deep breath. She needed him to talk about the results before she nit picketed his chosen study.

"Bandura found that children in the aggressive condition displayed higher levels of aggression than the other two conditions," George sighed as uttered the results of his experiment, almost as if he knew she would bounce in with a comment the second he finished.

"George," Hermione grinned manically at her boyfriend, "Didn't Bandura find that the male children displayed higher levels of aggression compared to the female children, which suggests a biological – innate cause of aggression?"

"Yes, Hermione," George admitted, "However, the females also displayed aggressive behaviour in the aggressive condition which does imply aggressive behaviour is learned. The males in the non-aggressive condition did not display signs of aggression which goes against your comment."

Hermione was about to cut in again, but her boyfriend started speaking before she could, "Bandura's research strongly implies that aggressive behaviour is a result of the social environment and has strong implications for what children should be exposed to in the media. After all, it matters not what someone is born but what they grow to be. And if we continue to expose children to violence in television programmes and video games, they could grow up to be violent, aggressive individuals."

BRRRRRINNNNNNNNNG!

"Very insightful George," Mrs McGonagall stated to the class who were starting to pack their bags, "Now, class, you might have realised that human behaviour is not necessarily nature as Miss Granger was arguing or nurture as Mr Weasley was arguing but is actually a product of both, I will go over this more next lesson. Dismissed."

The class rushed out of the room as Hermione put her own belongings away, George made his way over to her.

"We did great," he smiled at her, "How about I treat you to lunch as way of apology for winning our first ever argument as a couple?"

"You didn't win, Mrs Mc-"Hermione was cut off, by her boyfriend kissing her soundly on the lips.

"Semantics," He winked at her, before escorting her to the dining hall.


End file.
